UNIVERZITA PALACKÉHO V OLOMOUCI PEDAGOGICKÁ FAKULTA Ústav cizích jazyků Bakalářská práce Iveta Vašinková Humor a realismus ve filmových adaptacích románů Jane Austenové Humour and realism in film adaptations of Jane Austen’s novels Olomouc 2019 Vedoucí práce: Mgr. Josef Nevařil, Ph.D. Prohlašuji, že jsem bakalářskou práci vypracovala samostatně s použitím uvedených pramenů a literatury. V Olomouci 23.4.2019 ……………………………………… vlastnoruční podpis I would like to thank Mgr. Josef Nevařil, PhD. and Kamil Vašinka for their support. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Abstract Introduction. .......................................................................................................................... 7 1. Jane Austen. ....................................................................................................................... 8 2. Humour. ........................................................................................................................... 11 3. Realism. ........................................................................................................................... 12 4. Jane Austen’s novels. ....................................................................................................... 13 5. Film adaptations. .............................................................................................................. 15 6. Film adaptation analysis. .................................................................................................. 16 6.1 Northanger Abbey ...................................................................................................... 17 6.1.1 The plot ................................................................................................................ 17 6.1.2 The topics ............................................................................................................ 18 6.1.3 Humour and realism in the film adaptation ........................................................... 19 6.2 Sense and sensibility ................................................................................................... 22 6.2.1 The plot ................................................................................................................ 22 6.2.2 The topics ............................................................................................................ 23 6.2.3 Humour and realism in the film adaptation ........................................................... 23 6.3 Pride and Prejudice ..................................................................................................... 24 6.3.1 The plot ................................................................................................................ 24 6.3.2 The topics ............................................................................................................ 26 6.3.3 Humour and realism in the film adaptation ........................................................... 26 6.4 Mansfield Park ........................................................................................................... 30 6.4.1 The plot ................................................................................................................ 30 6.4.2 The topics ............................................................................................................ 31 6.4.3 Humour and realism in the film adaptation ........................................................... 32 6.5 Emma ......................................................................................................................... 33 6.5.1 The plot ................................................................................................................ 33 6.5.2 The topics ............................................................................................................ 34 6.5.3 Humour and realism in the film adaptation ........................................................... 34 6.6 Persuasion .................................................................................................................. 35 6.6.1 The plot ................................................................................................................ 35 6.6.2 The topics ............................................................................................................ 36 6.6.3 Humour and realism in the film adaptation ........................................................... 36 Conclusion. .......................................................................................................................... 37 Bibliography. ....................................................................................................................... 38 Résumé. ............................................................................................................................... 40 Annotation. .......................................................................................................................... 41 ABSTRACT Although Jane Austen is considered an author of the age of romanticism, she did not want to be associated with the 18 th -century romantics and sentimentalists. Her work shows signs of realism where she describes the characters and the settings of the story in detail. She draws her inspiration mainly from her large family. Her heroines are mostly immature girls who develop into adult women. The turning point comes when the girl meets a male hero who influences her perception of the world. Austen comments on society wittily and rejects character flaws. Her novels are still popular nowadays and all were made into films. INTRODUCTION The aim of this thesis is to examine Jane Austen’s novels and their film adaptations from the point of view of humour and realism. Although the films are true adaptations of the novels, some minor changes in the scripts can be traced. The bachelor’s project introduces the life and work of the writer and defines the terms ‘humour’ and ‘realism’ in connection with Jane Austen’s work. We will concentrate on the topics that appear in her novels and compare them with her own experience. Humour also plays an important role in Austen’s work and its various categories are mentioned here. Jane Austen’s novels inspired many filmmakers and we will focus on the film adaptations, primarily on the aspects of humour and realism in each film. We will look closely on the adaptations of all six novels and analyse the approach of the filmmakers. The aim is to trace the humour and the realistic style of Jane Austen. 7 1. Jane Austen Jane Austen is regarded one of England’s greatest female novelists. Her depicting everyday life of the 19 th century society still attracts readers after more than two centuries (Austen 1993, p.1). Jane Austen was born on 16 th December 1775 in the village of Steventon in the county of Hampshire. She was the seventh of eight children of Reverend George Austen and Cassandra, née Leigh. Jane Austen had six brothers and one sister. Her father was a country rector and, to increase the income of the family, he gave lessons at the rectory (Todd, p. 2). 1Portrait of Jane Austen by her sister Cassandra 1 In 1783 both Austen girls, Jane and Cassandra, were sent to Oxford where they were tutored by Mrs Ann Cawley; from 1785 to 1786 their education by Mrs La Tournelle followed at Abbey School in Reading (Todd, p. 3). Later the parents educated their two daughters at home. “George and Cassandra Austen were cultivated people. [...] George, with his library of 1 AUSTEN, Cassandra. Jane Austen. In: National Portrait Gallery [online]. London: National Portrait Gallery, 1999 [cit. 2019-04-20]. Dostupné z: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw00230/Jane-Austen 8 over 500 books, was ‘a profound scholar’ with ‘most exquisite taste’, and Cassandra composed skilful comic verse on local people and events, a common pastime within her community” (Todd, p. 2). It was only natural that little Jane Austen became interested in reading books as well as writing her own comic stories to amuse her family. “Jane Austen’s oldest brother, James, had turned to poetry and essay writing, and edited, for a time, a weekly magazine [...] in which the whole family took a keen interest. It is not surprising then [...] that Jane, early in her teens, should try her hand at writing too” (Shields, p. 25). Jane Austen’s first sketches, the so called juvenilia, appeared as early as in 1786. They consisted of comic verse, riddles, parodies and farce, were published in notebooks and supplied with drawings and dedications to her sister Cassandra and friends. The stories include ‘Love & Friendship’, ‘Catherine or The Bower’ and ‘Lady Susan’. These early writings were intended to be read by or to her family and friends; the dramatic pieces rehearsed and performed in front of an audience. The success of juvenilia encouraged Jane Austen to devote herself to writing and so in her twenties she started composing real novels. One of them, ‘First Impressions’ (later ‘Pride and Prejudice’) was offered by her father for publishing, but unsuccessfully. Not discouraged, Jane Austen continues with ‘Elinor and Marianne’ (‘Sense and Sensibility’) and ‘Susan’ (‘Northanger Abbey’). In December 1795 Jane Austen met an Irish law student Thomas Langlois Lefroy who was visiting his aunt near Steventon. They attended balls, danced together, and shared interests in books. Their relationship was very close and many had anticipated their union in